Hire the Right Moving Company; Do your Homework!

1^st Mistake: Don’t Assume a Nationwide Company is the BEST!

I made a major mistake in May. Hired a huge nationwide company (one of top 3) expecting them to do a good job since they had to move my daughters light load across the country. They didn’t show up at the time expected. After 3 hours, I called them and they said the driver had been pulled and had left the state with someone else’s load. WHAT!!! They apologized and sent the manager and a worker to pick up the load and take to the warehouse until they could find another driver.

2^nd Mistake: Don’t Be Too Nice! I was worried if I made them mad, they would lose, delay, or damage the load. I called the following day and asked if the load had been picked up and was put off by the rep that had come to the house to estimate the load and prepare the contracts. I was told the load had been removed to a warehouse.

*We had tickets to leave in 4 days so there is no way the truck will be there now in 4 days but we are required to be sitting there at the other end for 21 days. What a ridiculous rule?

3^rd Mistake: Believe What the Moving Rep Tells You! I had been told the trucker would be calling me after he picked up the load and would contact us all the way across the country. That never happened! Was I stupid to believe this?

4^th Mistake: Assuming the Trucker and Moving Company Did Their Homework.

Yes, we assumed the driver and the Moving Company at the other end would Know about delivery and getting permits in a big city. On one way, narrow, metered parking streets, the moving companies get permits from the City. Of course, you have to know the delivery date? This nationwide company had never heard of PERMITS? Plus the driver said he could deliver with the big semi he was driving. Wrong, the load has to be moved to a smaller truck and scheduled with city. I was amazed they knew nothing about permits but the company has a business in the same city. Are they stupid or just ignore rules?

Final Results: My husband pleaded with the city to waive then normal 10 day scheduling period and got a date for either Friday 15^th or Tuesday 19^th but the moving company couldn’t be there on the 15^th!  So we had to wait another 4 days. Yes, they arrived on the 19^th and delivered the load. We only had 2 broken items and one missing bolt out of the bed which I guess is not bad for 3500 miles and the load being moved on and off the trucks 4 times. Our “Stress Level” extremely high as we waited from July 7^th to July 19^th with no furniture so we had to stay in a hotel.

5^th MISTAKE I WILL "NOT"  MAKE:  I did learn one thing from this horrible experience. I will never hire this company again for any reason nor will I assume the nationwide company is better. Nor will I recommend them to my clients either. Probably look for a smaller company the next time she moves. A local company in front of her place was delivering furniture and they were the ones who told us about the permits and where to go. I may call this local company the next time.

ALL I CAN SAY IS I AM GLAD THE MOVE IS BEHIND US!